Work machines, such as agricultural tractors are commonly used to tow wide implements behind them for various purposes, including planting and plowing. In row crop applications it is imperative for the implement to track the rows with precision to prevent crop damage. Wide implements require high steering effort when negotiating turns with the implement in the soil. The high steering requirements for these implements can exceed the capability of some machines. It is very important to control the implement so that turning and other desired operations can be readily accomplished.
Hitches are commonly incorporated on the back of a work machine to provide a point of attachment for the implement to the machine. Such hitches have been designed to provide some movement of the implement relative to the work machine through hydraulic or other mechanisms controlled by the operator. For example, some hitches provide some guidance for steering an implement left or right. Other hitches have been used to raise and lower a draw bar through which an implement can be attached to the hitch.
The hitches previously known have used a variety of different linkage arrangements to provide one or more of the limited degrees of movement described above. However, hitches need to be compact and utilize mechanisms that provide the necessary movement and still allow the work machine to be changed between narrow and wide row crop gage settings. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a compact hitch that can exert steering forces on the implement and aid the work machine to precisely maneuver turns. The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.